Known airbag arrangements are used as automotive safety components in virtually every vehicle. An airbag arrangement comprises an inflatable restraining device, which is accommodated in the steering wheel, the instrument panel or the side door and is inflated by means of a gas generator in the event of sufficiently forceful deceleration. The gas generator is conventionally actuated by means of an explosive ignition device, which is also known as an igniter or squib and contains a gunpowder-like material. The igniter is ignited electronically in response to an electrical signal, which is emitted via electrical leads by an acceleration sensor or the like in the vehicle. Contact is established between these electrical leads and the igniter via a dedicated connector, also known as a “squib connector”. A known igniter socket arrangement, as known for example from EP 0 600 418 B1, comprises two connector pins, which are connected to the two electrical leads via contact elements of an electrical connector.
In the motor vehicles, especially at a safety-relevant location, such an electrical plug-in connection is generally produced to extremely high specifications for resistance to vibrations, temperature fluctuations or electromagnetic interference.
To fit the electrical connector on the electrical lead, it is conventional to connect a metallic contact element to the electrical lead and then fit it in a housing. As is known for example from EP 1 006 621 B1, the housing may comprise a hinged lid portion, which allows fitting of the contact elements. This solution has a disadvantage, however, that the crimping process, during which the contact elements are connected to the electrical lead, has to be performed before the contact element has been assembled in the housing.
The known solutions additionally exhibit a disadvantage that an additional tool is necessary in the case of bent contact elements to produce the angled contact.
It is therefore an object of the invention, among others, to provide a miniaturized electrical connector of the above type and an associated assembly method which ensures simple, inexpensive producibility on the one hand and robust and reliable contactability on the other hand.